10 of the Best Beaches in Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda have 365 beaches, which means one for every day of the year! We were able to visit 17 of the highly recommended beaches. We’re going to share 10 of the best beaches in Antigua!
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If you want to watch our video on the best beaches in Antigua, you can watch here:
The Best Antigua Beaches
Dickenson Bay
Dickenson Bay is a popular beach on the west side of the island. This is the beach that the Sandals resorts is located on. It’s a beautiful sandy, long beach with clear blue water. There are plenty of water sports and chairs and umbrellas to rent nearby. There are a lot of hotels right along Dickenson Bay. A few cons for us was the beach is not very secluded and it can get very busy with vendors.
Hotels nearby:
If you’ve never stayed at the Sandals resorts before, here’s a breakdown of which Sandals resort is best for you
Runaway Beach
Runaway beach is on the west coast, close to Dickinson Bay. Runaway Beach has beautiful blue water, with a long stretch of beach. It was very quiet when we were there. However, it’s close to the cruise port, so it can get busy when there are cruise ships in port. We stopped at Mystic Beach Bar and rented chairs and an umbrella for $20.
Hotels nearby:
Yepton Beach
A much more secluded beach on Antigua, most people won’t even know where Yepton beach is. We were lucky because this is the beach our airbnb was located on. It’s super secluded, but beautiful calm waters. There are no services at this beach, so you must bring everything you need. No restaurants or hotels nearby. Because it’s so secluded, it can be hard to find.
Hotels nearby:
Deep Bay Beach
Deep Bay is on the west coast, close to Yepton. Very calm, blue waters at Deep Bay Beach. This is the beach that the Royalton sits on. No restaurants or bars. Fort Barrington is close by if you want to hike up. And this is a great beach for sunset.
Hotels nearby:
Valley Church Bay
Valley Church Bay is located on the west coast, but further south. Very beautiful water, with a Nest beach bar, and jet skis and chairs available nearby. It can get very busy with cruise passengers on cruise ship days.
Hotels nearby:
Ffreyes Beach
Frees has gorgeous white sandy beach, with Dennis Beach Bar right there with food and drinks available and usmbrella and chairs to rent. Seemed like a lot of locals were visiting when we were there.
Hotels nearby:
Tamarind Hills Resort and Villas
Crabbe Hill Beach
Crabbe Hill Beach is gorgeous water, but has the lush greenery in the background. This beach is easy to get too. It was very quiet and peaceful when we were there. There are restaurants on the beach like, OJs and Jacqui O’s beach bar.
Hotels nearby:
Pigeon Point Beach
Pigeon Point Beach is on the south coast of Antigua, close to English Harbor. Pigeon Point had calm waters, but the water is not as turquoise as the west coast beaches. But there are lots of trees for shade. There are food and drinks available at Catherines Cafe. A nice spot to see all the yachts and sailboats.
Hotels nearby:
Galleon Beach
Galleon Beach is on the southern coast, nearby Pigeon Point and the English Harbor. This is a popular area for hiking. Galleon Beach is a popular snorkeling beach, and we saw turtles right off the shore. This is close to Shirley Heights.
*We did get our tire stolen while we were at Galleon Beach, although talking to all the locals, we think this was a fluke.
Hotels nearby:
Long Bay
Long Bay is on the northeast side of the island, and can be a bit of a drive from St. Johns,. It’s a popular beach for families. Beautiful blue, calm waters, good for snorkeling. There are a few little shops where you can buy drinks, cigars, or water sports.
Hotels nearby:
Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay gets mentioned a lot in the best beaches in Antigua, but it was not a favorite of ours. Half Moon Bay is on the east coast. It can be a drive depending on where you’re staying. When we were there, it was really rough and not really swimmable. It does have a great view as you’re driving into it. There is a restaurant and bar on the beach.
Hotels nearby:
Antigua Beaches Map
Here is a map of the 10 best beaches in Antigua and Barbuda. If you click on the map, it’ll take you to our google maps where all these beaches are saved.
Best snorkeling in Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua is a great spot for snorkeling. Some of the best snorkeling can be found at Galleon Beach, Hawksbill, Long Bay, Great Bird Island, and Cades Reef.
Are the beaches of Antigua public?
All beaches in Antigua are public, which means you go use any beach on the island, even if there is a hotel there. Because there are so many beaches, you can just drive around and walk up to any beach and camp out for the day. We recommend taking a portable sand blanket and a portable cooler to keep some snacks.
If you’re planning to visit the beaches, make sure to check out our Beach Packing List
How to get around Antigua and Barbuda?
We recommend a car to get around Antigua and Barbuda, because you’ll be able to access way more beaches! It’s really easy to get around in a car. They do drive on the left side of the road, so if you’re not used that, it can be a little uncomfortable. The island is small and there aren’t that many roads. You do need to get a temporary local driving license that costs 20 USD (54.05 ECD) and it lasts 3 months. You can purchase that through your rental car company or at the local police station.
If you’re visiting Antigua and Barbuda, check out these other posts:
These beaches look great! Haven’t been to a beach for a while now, I miss late night walks there!